1
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
a trio of courtiers who were discovered to be machinating against the queen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
the hackers machinated a way to steal credit numbers from the company's Web site
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of machinate
But Cleopatra, still machinating away in Alexandria, couldn’t handle the thought of Herod gaining any further traction in Antony’s affections.
—
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 18 Dec. 2019
Now a new scheme described by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal involves families seemingly machinating to get an unfair leg up in paying for a coveted seat at a university.
—Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 30 July 2019
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 18 Dec. 2019
Now a new scheme described by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal involves families seemingly machinating to get an unfair leg up in paying for a coveted seat at a university.
—Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 30 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinate
Verb
-
But in wrapping up a six-month investigation last month, independent counsel Cho’s team concluded that Yoon plotted for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate his political rivals and monopolize power.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Just last month, police charged a 17-year-old in Indiana linked to TCC who was allegedly plotting to carry out an attack.—
Lauren Fichten,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Still, the legislative session frequently goes past the target end date as lawmakers negotiate over the final details of bills and the state budget.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Players with more than three years of service time can use arbitration to negotiate their salaries for an upcoming season, and Skubal has more than five years in.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
McDaniels schemed a few targets that had receivers open but nonetheless fell incomplete (DeMario Douglas' drop in the third quarter, and an incompletion sailed wide to Rhamondre Stevenson in the second quarter).—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
-
While in federal prison, a father and son schemed to sell and ship drugs to North Carolina.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Harden understands the rules well as anyone to draw fouls (critics might argue manipulate the officials) to get to the line.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Other charges accuse Yoon of manipulating the investigation into a marine’s drowning in 2023 and receiving free opinion surveys from an election broker in return for a political favor.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Two years later, his son having attained A levels in English, maths and sciences, Ramírez’s father flew to Europe to arrange for his further education.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Her first such patient was unable to arrange an in-person office visit.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But below deck, in machinery spaces and fuel tanks, Norway is quietly engineering its post-oil future.—
Ryan Craggs,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Structural batteries are engineered to carry mechanical loads while simultaneously storing electrical energy.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In one of the most deal-ridden and far too often contrived places on the globe, Steny was straightforward, smart, wise, direct, honest on the real odds about anything and everything, and blessed with a sense of humor that, if saintly in purpose, was devilishly clever in delivery.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The language of manifesting your dreams into reality might sound nonsensical or contrived, but to JOP, his magical thinking became his saving grace.—
Andrea Flores
Jan. 8,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
